Midnight for Charlie Bone
Midnight for Charlie Bone is the first novel in the Charlie Bone Series. Blurb Charlie doesn't want to believe it. He can hear people in photographs talking. What's happening to him? His horrible aunts and delighted with his new talent. The way Charlie's life is about to change, he'll be lucky to live till Christmas... Summary Ten-year old Charlie Bone is an ordinary boy, until he starts hearing the voices. It began when Charlie was making a birthday card for his oldest friend, Benjamin. A photograph of Benjamin's dog in the card was meant to be on the cover of the card, but when he opens the envelope from the photo developer he finds a picture of a man cradling a baby. He began to hear noises. His grandmother Grizelda Bone, having heard that her sister Eustacia (a clairvoyant) had one one of her 'premonitions', notices. Later that day Charlie's great-aunts, Venetia, Lucretia and Eustacia Yewbeam, and his grandmother Grizelda, test Charlie to see if he is magically endowed. When they discover that he is, they send him to Bloor's Academy. However, Bloor's Academy is a corrupt school under the influence of Manfred Bloor (a hypnotist) and his great-grandfather Ezekiel Bloor (an evil, flawed magician). Charlie returns the photograph to its owner - bookshop owner Julia Ingledew, who lives near the cathedral where Charlie's father once played. Julia reveals that the man and baby in the photograph are her brother-in-law, Dr. Tolly, and his daughter Emma, as well as giving Charlie a heavy metal case and a metal dog (a tape recorder). At Benjamin's house, Charlie plays the tape stuck inside the dog, which gives the more finer details of Dr. Tolly's story, as well as instructions to open the case and awaken the baby, who would now be about the same age as Charlie. Returning to Bloor's, Charlie realizes, with the help of is friend, Olivia Vertigo, that endowed student Emilia Moon must be Emma Tolly, and soon rescues her from her hypnotic state. Emma is returned to Julia Ingledew - her endowed power is that of flight (she can change into any bird she thinks of). However, Charlie is having a less enjoyable time, for it was his turn to play The Ruin Game, a game where the students of Bloor's Academy go into a ruin to find a medal - the reward being a year free of detentions. Charlie is almost killed as he gets lost and is attacked by a beast, which turns out out to be Asa after he has transformed at dusk. Luckily, Gabriel notices Charlie's absence and calls on the help of Tancred and Lysander. Together, the three friends rescue Charlie.The book concludes with a celebration and the announcement that both Charlie and Emma would be returning to Bloor's again for the next year. Characters *Charlie Bone - Main protagonist, Bloor's Academy student, endowed *The Red King, his wife and children (Mentioned only) *Benjamin Brown - Charlie's friend *Benjamin's parents (Mentioned only) *Maisie Jones - Charlie's maternal grandmother *Grizelda Bone - Charlie's paternal grandmother *Amy Bone - Charlie's mother *Lyell Bone - Charlie's father (Mentioned only) *Paton Yewbeam - Charlie's uncle *Yewbeam - Charlie's oldest great-aunt *Eustacia Yewbeam - Charlie's second great-aunt *Venetia Yewbeam - Charlie's youngest great-aunt *Orvil Onimous *Aries, Leo and Sagittarius - Orvil's cats *Julia Ingledew - Emma's aunt *Dr Tolly - Julia Ingledew's brother-in-law (mentioned only) *Nancy - Julia's sister, Emma's mother and Dr Tolly's husband (Mentioned only. Surname unknown, presumed to be Tolly) *Manfred Bloor - Bloor's Academy student, Charlie's arch enemy, main antagonist, endowed *Asa Pike - Bloor's Academy student, Manfred's sidekick, endowed *Fidelio Gunn - Bloor's Academy student, Charlie's friend and music tutor *Olivia Vertigo - Bloor's Academy student, Charlie's friend *Gabriel Silk - Bloor's Academy student, Charlie's friend *Emelia Moon (a.k.a. Emma Tolly) - Bloor's Academy student, becomes Charlie's fried at end of book, endowed *Lysander Sage - Bloor's Academy student, Tancred's close friend, Charlie's friend, endowed *Tancred Torsson - Bloor's Academy student, Lysander's close friend, Charlie's friend, endowed *Dorcas - Bloor's Academy student, endowed (Mentioned only) *Beth - Bloor's Academy student, endowed (Mentioned only) *Bindy - Bloor's Academy student, endowed (Mentioned only) *Zelda - Bloor's Academy student, endowed *Billy Raven - Bloor's Academy student, starts off as Charlie's friend, endowed *Mr and Mrs Raven - Billy's parents (Mentioned only) *Cook - the cook at Bloor's Academy *Ezekiel Bloor - Dr Bloor's father *Mr and Mrs Moon - Emelia's 'adopted' parents Animals *Blessed (a.k.a. Percy) - Cook's dog (But Ezekiel claims it to be his) *Runner Bean - Benjamin's dog *Aries, Leo and Sagittarius - Orvil's cats Teachers in Bloor's Academy *Dr Bloor - Headmaster of Bloor's, Manfred's father *Dr Saltweather - Head of music (Mentioned only) *Mr Irving (Mentioned only) *Mr Paltry - Wind *Mr O'Connor - Guitar (Mentioned only) *Mr Pilgrim - Piano *Miss Chrystal - Strings *Mr Carp - English teacher